PSY 1101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Absolute Threshold, Psychophysics, Detection Theory

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSY 1101
• Professor: Najwa Haddad

Document Summary

Introduction: ancient greeks wanted to know what organ did what. Many refer to the brain as being the most complex matter in the universe: tools of discovery, clinical observation: oldest method and for long time only method, still used today. Optogenetics: genetically engineer neurons to respond to light, then use light to manipulate neurons. Eeg: put electrodes over skull and they pick up on action potentials, safe method. Neuroimaging techniques: ct or cat scan: expose to radiation, x-ray technology, to take pictures of the brain. Injected with radioactive glucose, computer picks up on it. Shows what brain is doing, creates colorful images of brain: functional mri: exposed to magnetic field. Tracks flow of oxygen and blood to brain. The more active an area of the brain is, the more it uses. Shows what brain is doing and makes colorful images: dsi: gives info about connections between neurons. Lower brain structures: brain stem: 500 million years old.